Airbus lags Boeing on jet sales in first nine months

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

PARIS (Reuters) - European planemaker Airbus (AIR.PA) sold 76 aircraft in September, but ended the first nine months of the year behind its U.S. rival Boeing (BA.N) in the number of planes sold and delivered, company data showed on Monday.

An Airbus A350 aircraft sits on the tarmac on display at the Singapore Airshow February 11, 2014. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Airbus sold a net total of 69 aircraft last month after adjusting for the cancellation of seven of the nine A321 jets ordered by privately owned regional carrier Nile Air at the Dubai Airshow in 2007, according to monthly order figures.

It delivered 54 aircraft during September, including four A380 superjumbos, bringing the total number of deliveries for that type of aircraft so far this year to 21.

In the first nine months, Airbus booked orders for 1,077 aircraft. Net orders, which are adjusted for cancellations or conversions between different models, ended the period at 791.

Airbus delivered a total of 443 aircraft between January and September.

For the full year, Airbus is targeting about the same level of deliveries as the 626 total seen in 2013, including the first A350 which won European safety approval last week. It has also said net orders should be above the level of deliveries.

Leasing company AWAS converted two A350-800 aircraft to the larger A350-900 model in September, becoming the latest company to move out of the smallest and least-sold A350 type which is not expected to be produced as Airbus fills that spot of the market with a revamped version of its A330 aircraft.

Boeing last week reported 1,106 orders in the first nine months, or 1,000 after adjusting for 106 cancellations.